Hexavalent
International Hazard
Posts: 1564
Registered: 29-12-2011
Location: Wales, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pericyclic
|
|
Alkali Metals and Water
Pretty much everybody says 'The alkali metals are highly reactive with water' or something along those lines.
Couldn't one equally say 'Water is highly reactive with the alkali metals'??
Why does everyone prefer to say the first one?
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
|
|
|
Mailinmypocket
International Hazard
Posts: 1351
Registered: 12-5-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Maybe because it's more common for water for be regarded as "not reactive" and then on the other hand, alkali metals are unusually reactive. So
perhaps by saying the metals are highly reactive with water puts a greater emphasis on their reactivity?
I'm not really sure... just a thought. I suppose it doesnt really make a huge difference, but I know I prefer the term "Alkali metals are highly
reactive with water"
|
|
|
fledarmus
Hazard to Others
Posts: 187
Registered: 23-6-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Because when you are trying to handle water, you very rarely think about the possibility of it accidentally spilling on to the omnipresent traces of
alkali metals that are laying around everywhere. When you are trying to handle alkali metals, you DO worry about every place it might come into
contact with traces of water.
|
|
|
Endimion17
International Hazard
Posts: 1468
Registered: 17-7-2011
Location: shores of a solar sea
Member Is Offline
Mood: speeding through time at the rate of 1 second per second
|
|
Yes, we could say that. Imagine a laboratory made out of alkali metal alloys filled with dry oxygen, and you, working inside in a chemical suit
supplied with a closed breathing system, such as the one used in EVA space suits, to avoid leaking water vapor.
Working with water in such conditions would require lots of precaution and safety measures. Pierce your suit or release one drop of the water on the
floor and you're fucked with a fiery dick of corrosive doom.
Quote: Originally posted by fledarmus  | | Because when you are trying to handle water, you very rarely think about the possibility of it accidentally spilling on to the omnipresent traces of
alkali metals that are laying around everywhere. When you are trying to handle alkali metals, you DO worry about every place it might come into
contact with traces of water. |
There are not even traces of elementary state alkali metals in nature because the reaction between them and oxygen is not reversible. It proceeds to
the products completely.
[Edited on 14-6-2012 by Endimion17]
|
|
|
Eddygp
National Hazard
Posts: 858
Registered: 31-3-2012
Location: University of York, UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: Organometallic
|
|
Endimion, I think fledarmus knew that, it was just a joke (I think so, at least). Ummm.
there may be bugs in gfind
[ˌɛdidʒiˈpiː] IPA pronunciation for my Username |
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
